Executive Director’s Letter – February 2019Submitted by Pam Ferguson

February is CTE Month!

It is our hope that you will share the great many CTE events, stories and opportunities, not only with us, but with the press, school boards, your legislators and the business community. You can find promotional materials on the ACTEAZ website and other information to help you celebrate CTE Month in your school. Also, Governor Ducey has once again issued a proclamation for CTE Month appreciates this remembrance and acknowledgement of CTE Month by the Governor.

I would like to take a moment here to personally remember and honor my friend, Dr. Carolyn Warner, who passed this last October. It has taken me a few months to truly put my thoughts on paper. As everyone who has lost a friend knows, it is a struggle to put your thoughts and emotions to rest. I just want to say that I am grateful for the decades of friendship, guidance and mentoring. I remember the many times we shared while attending events for CTE around our state and across the country. She was constantly advocating for CTE and I know there are many others who also share memories of Carolyn and her passion.

I learned from Carolyn what it really meant to champion CTE with teachers, industry, and our legislature at both a state and federal level. I observed her strength, knowledge and wisdom as she maintained and grew her many relationships in the Arizona Quality Skills Commission and throughout many statewide committees. With her help we all worked together to champion the message of Career Technical Education, that CTE is the foundation of a great education for our students and the cornerstone of workforce development in our state and beyond.

As we continue to celebrate CTE month, let us focus on what we learned from Dr. Carolyn Warner, how to champion CTE and that our “voice matters”. Carolyn helped to bring CTE to where it is today and it my hope that all of us will continue to carry on her life’s work and make the dream of CTE Success and reality.

I want to remind everyone that the Arizona CTE Summer Conference is coming once again in July, from the 12th to the 17th. This year’s theme is CTE: The Power of Infinite Possibilities. You can find out the latest news about the conference at ArizonaCTECon.com.

This year the Summer Conference hotel rooms will open on March 11th. The date was changed from MLK Day so that you can review the conference schedule and sessions before reserving a room. It is our hope this will make it easier on everyone.

Finally, I want to remind everyone about the ACTE National Policy Seminar in Washington, D.C. from March 24th to the 27th. For more information and to register, please go to www.acteonline.org. If you know you will be attending, please send me an email to pamferguson@acteaz.org, so that I can add you into the scheduling of appointments for our Arizona Delegation with our U.S. Congressmen and Senators.

Wishing all our CTE Members an awesome CTE Month and thank you for all that you do each and every day.